A male leopard that was rescued from a human settlement in Bhayander near Mumbai last month and later released into Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) was found dead in the Yeoor Forest area after a mortality signal was received from its satellite collar, forest officials said.

Acting on the alert on Monday evening, officers and staff of the forest department, along with a team led by Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) India’s Niket Surve, rushed to the Nagla zone of the Yeoor Forest area, where the leopard’s carcass was located. A panchnama was conducted at the site, and officials said the animal’s claws, canines and other vital organs were intact. Due to inadequate natural light, a post-mortem examination could not be conducted on Monday night.